In an effort to support vulnerable communities in Gaza, Human Appeal is hosting a charity sale to raise funds for women and children afflicted by ongoing conflicts.
Human Appeal was founded in 1991 and is based in the United Kingdom. The organization is dedicated to providing emergency relief and sustainable development projects and is often used in emergency humanitarian crises, such as the recent conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Fatimah Zahra is an international student from Malaysia and a volunteer with the Human Appeal organisation. She handmade several traditional dishes to sell at the event.
“We’re all about helping out the women and kids in Gaza. Things are tough over there, and we just want to do our bit. Every little thing we sell today goes straight to helping them get by. It feels good to know we’re making even a small difference,” said Zahra.
The sale included a mini-Eid market, featuring a range of food, clothes and henna paintings.
Most of the volunteers are from Islamic countries such as Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, and have come together to contribute to supporting vulnerable communities affected by the war in Gaza.
“All profits will be donated to Gaza to help those women and children,” said Aminah, one of the organisers of Human Appeal. “We’re focusing on providing essential supplies—like food and medical aid. We’ve teamed up with a few NGOs that are working on the ground, so we can make sure the help gets to where it’s needed most.”
Zahra says it is incredibly difficult to watch the news at the moment as it weighs heavily on everyone, but there is a collective desire to see the war end as quickly as possible.
According to BBC correspondent Yolande Knell, while the media’s attention in the Middle East this past week has been diverted by Iran’s missile and drone attack on Israel, there has been no let-up in fighting in Gaza.
Israeli forces have also not ruled out a larger offensive on the city of Rafah; hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been forced to live there in tents after fleeing fighting elsewhere.
“I’m still holding out hope for the future, despite all the mess, I believe we can find a way to peace if we all pull together,” said Zahra.